I'm not owner of the personages of Dragon Booster, this fics was written in order to offer awhile of diversion. Some words (Like which they appear in the vocabulary section) are invented by me or some one else whose allowed me use them. Every similitude with a real word is a coincidence.
OPPOSITE FACTIONS
By
Airshadow
Vocabulary:
Dragonarian Intern: A student of dragon health care who hasn't yet graduated. Interns attend to some minor health troubles.
Zhamirah: Ancient word that means sister. It's applied to siblings of same parents, half-siblings, adoptive siblings, feminine members of same clan, very close friends or relations between two or more persons who are under the care of same tutor.
CHAPTER IV
INTERLUDE
Moordryd was in a very bad mood that day. In the past week, nothing had come out well for him. Jhanus had won in the last race, the Dragon Boo-boo frustrated all his attempts to steal dragons and his father had consequentially given him the usually scolding. Normally, he would go to Penn Stables to annoy the Stable-brat, but he wasn't in the mood for that either.
An animated chorus of male voices arrived at Moordryd's ears. He was curious but somewhat annoyed by this and left to see what was happening. How could he plan to teach a good lesson to that idiot named Jhanus and the Stable-Brat with that racket?
The members of the Dragon Eye Crew shut up as soon as Moordryd appeared. They knew that when their leader was in a bad mood that it was best to avoid doing anything that could cause further rage.
"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, CAIN?" shouted Moordryd to his second in command.
"We're only commenting that the Down City Crew Council has started a Dragon Health Campaign."
"AND YOU'RE SO HAPPY ABOUT THAT!" yelled Moordryd as his ire overflowed. "THAT A BUNCH OF DRAGONS WILL GET A VACCINATION!"
"In fact, this will be a check-up," replied Cain unworried. "The guys are more than inclined to go; they heard that among the dragonarian interns are many pretty gals."
That was a powerful motivator. Moordryd thought that it would be good idea if Decepshun went to the Dragon Health Campaign as well.
------- o0o -------
The sun was rising as a compact group left the Dragon Medicine Faculty. The group was made up of young dragonarian interns, who went to fulfill their social service in the poorest communities. They were escorted by several members of the prestigious, honorable and respectable crews of the Inner Order and the Will of the Dragon.
Among the dragonarian interns were a number of girls. Silvanna Diamath stood out among them without trying to do so.
Silvanna was thinking about what had happened these last days and that morning, and she only smiled with indifference at the group of dragonarian medical interns.
"I'm sorry, Miss Diamath," said the director of her faculty. "But we cannot change the place of your social service based only on a personal wish."
Silvanna sighed with annoyance. Why indeed did it have to be there? She wished to go to the other side, particularly to a certain special place where she could contact an old friend of her childhood.
"Why do you sigh so much? You're thinking about your fiancé, aren't you."
Silvanna looked at the girl with irritation as the group of girls started to laugh.
"Which fiancé, Sayannah?" she finally replied.
"The owner of that dragon," answered the girl as she gazed upon Zhulan's red and dark red dragon, which it was being ridden by Silvanna.
"He isn't my fiancé," said Silvanna coldly.
"Oh, come on!" said another girl. "You two are a wonderful pair."
"Yeah," added the other girl. "'The Princess and the Pauper', it sounds like the title for a romantic novel."
Silvanna spoke an order to Hamush in a foreign language. The dragon obeyed in the same way that he had obeyed Zhulan and advanced, leaving the other girls behind, but he took the precaution to remain within the escort.
The noble dragon still remembered the words that his beloved rider had told him before departing that morning.
"Hamush, my friend," the young man had told to him. "Take care of Silvanna in the same way that you'd care for me. You know that I love her. She's more than a sister for me."The dragon had made a vow without words. Even if Zhulan hadn't requested it, he'd have given his last scale to protect Silvanna since he also appreciated her.
Hamush glimpsed Silvanna with his brilliant amber eyes. The girl seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.
"Zhulan, you really don't have to do it," said the girl. "I see no reason to..."
"Your dragons are very exotic, Silvanna," replied Zhulan. "And Eclypse..."
"I don't think that Jhanus will get annoyed if I ride her," said Silvanna with a smile.
"The zone that you'll go to is very dangerous," said Zhulan and he seriously added "Zhamirah, your security worries me and I believe that it's better that you ride Hamush. I know that he will care for you well."
"How kind!" said the girl with a smile.
"You look very thoughtful, Miss Diamath."
The well-controlled voice shook of Silvanna from hers meditations. When she turned her head, she saw the serene and inscrutable face of Khatah. The girl smiled with courtesy and answered, "Are you always so formal with the girls?"
"I'm always formal with the ladies," answered Khatah with a smile.
Silvanna laughed willingly and she talked with Khatah.
------- o0o -------
"So where are you going, Moordryd? To a party?"
Cain watched his boss as Moordryd put an extra amount of gel on. It wasn't common to find Moordryd in his room at the Dragon Eye Crew Compound being more interested in giving a good impression than to plot a plan or to intimidate.
Normally, Moordryd wouldn't have deigned to answer, but that day he was in an unusually good mood.
"I was thinking about taking Decepshun to the Dragon Health Campaign in the Down City Council Compound."
"Don't tell me that is where the party is?" asked Cain with a badly disguised sarcastic smile.
"Or course it isn't," replied Moordryd, a bit annoyed while he carefully looked at his image in the mirror, as if he was meticulously criticizing every detail of his appearance.
Finally, Moordryd was satisfied and riding Decepshun, he went to theDown City Council's Compound
The Dragon Health Campaign promoted by the crews had caught the attention of all the Down City Council members.
Interns and Graduated Dragonarians enjoyed a certain level of protection among the low-income people that needed dragons for their work.
It was known to all that the members of the Human-Dragon Medicine Faculty (HDMF), performing their social service or volunteer work, went to the poor sectors of Dragon City without receiving any payment for their services. For that reason, they were welcome and well respected in those sectors where Dragon City Security Forces didn't dare to enter.
It was said that it was bad luck to hurt or bother a Doctor or Dragonarian, but those that were more practical knew that it wasn't good idea because someday they might need their services.
Moordryd never thought much about the Dragonarians. In fact, he didn't understand why somebody would dedicate their life to curing dragons. It was easy enough to obtain one, especially by stealing one. Almost unconsciously, he admitted that a dragon like Decepshun wasn't easy to find. She was ferociously loyal to him and they had shared so many things that, at last, he had to admit that if something bad happened to her, he would lament it.
Moordryd waited impatiently for his turn, while he thought how to ask one of HDMF's girls for a date; and he bet that more than one would be interested.
"Moordryd Paynn, your assigned Dragonarian is waiting for you in quarter four," announced an intern.
Moordryd advanced followed by Decepshun. He heard a feminine voice coming from that quarter and surely it would be easy to convince her to have a date with him, especially once she heard the long list of abilities that he had.
"Hello, Moordryd!" said a clearly mocking voice. Moordryd was so surprised that he didn't hear the quarter's door close. Decepshun cast a threatening glance towards Silvanna, who acted as if Moordryd didn't matter her, and she walked with a smile towards the boy. "What's happened, Moordryd? Has the dragon eaten your tongue?"
Moordryd couldn't believe it and looked at the girl with shock, but the gray-blue dragonarian's uniform that Silvanna wore, along with the long white boots made of synthetic material and her silver-plated gathered hair, confirmed that she was the intern who would take care of Decepshun.
The only thing which seemed out of place on her clothes was a strange purple draconium armband that the girl wore on her left arm. Certainly, his bad luck couldn't get worse, thought Moordryd.
Silvanna picked up some medical instruments while she smiled in a way that was impossible to interpret whether it was sarcasm or displeasure.
"What-what are you doing here?" stammered the boy who still hadn't recovered from his astonishment.
"Surprise," answered Silvanna sarcastically. "I am the Dragonarian assigned to examine your dragon for the next six months."
"WHAT? "
"You heard me," answered back Silvanna as she approached Decepshun. "Now, if you don't mind, I must examine Decepshun. I want to finish early since I have a date with Khatah. Come on, baby," she said to Decepshun. "I want to see you make a wide smile."
Decepshun showed her fangs in a way that would terrify most people, but Silvanna seemed not to feel fear.
"So, have you been assigned to the Down City Council stables?"
"Yes," the girl answered while she inspected Decepshun's fangs. "And believe me, I didn't jump with joy when I knew that we were going to see each other."
"I can imagine that," murmured Moordryd and both teenagers remained silent.
"I must admit, Moordryd," said Silvanna at last as she examined Decepshun's paws. "You take very good care of Decepshun." Moordryd straightened up very proud of the compliment. "You only must cut her claws a little more and that's everything."
"I never thought that you had such strange ideas, Silvanna," said Moordryd with a slightly mordacious tone. "First, to study to become a Dragonarian and second to have a date with Khatah. Is he your boyfriend?"
"Not really. We're going out just like friends. All boys have their chance," replied Silvanna without being disquieted while Decepshum listened without missing a word.
"You have never given me a chance!"
"You have never asked for it."
"If I asked you for a date, would you do it?"
"I would do it for a month, if you won a race honestly," responded Silvanna while she fixedly watched Moordryd. Decepshun watched both adolescents in a way that clearly said 'What nonsense.' "But, you couldn't do that even if your life depended on it."
"You think so?" said Moordryd as he watched the girl in a challenging way. "What do you bet that I can win a race without anybody's aid and without using my gear?"
"If you win, I'll date you for a month with the bonus that Jhanus will be out of the competitions during that period," said Silvanna looking Moordryd straight in his eyes. "If you loose, well, you will be retired for thirty days and I think that would cause you a lot troubles."
"It's a deal," said Moordryd with no intention of keeping his word if he lost the bet.
"OK, it's a bet," said the girl as she smiled in a mysterious way. Moordryd left the quarter smiling in an ironic way, which was imitated by Decepshun.
"What an idiot," said the boy in low voice, as soon as the door of the quarter had closed, while Decepshun watched him with approval.
------- o0o -------
Silvanna saw Moordryd leave the quarter while she smiled with disdain and looked at her bracelet. With her right hand, she pressed it and a secret compartment appeared. Hidden there was a small recorder and she manipulated some buttons. Moordryd's voice could be heard which said: "It is a deal."
With a sarcastic smile, the girl murmured in low voice, "Ingenuous."
------- o0o -------
"Silvanna."
The bored voice of Elsie made Silvanna stop her reflections. She was seated in a comfortable armchair in her apartment.
Watching her friend, Silvanna said, "Has Rhamius arrived?"
Elsie made an affirmative gesture with her head.
"Let him come in," Silvanna said coldly.
Silvanna drank a fruit juice with mineral water while she waited for Rhamius. A gesture of repulsion drew in her beautiful lips. Rhamius could be very efficient when getting information or spying was needed, though personally Silvanna couldn't tolerate his presence and tried to avoid him as much as possible.
Unfortunately, this was one of those occasions where she had to see him. The door to the apartment opened; Silvanna didn't bother to stand up when Rhamius came in
Rhamius was a young man who inspired fear; his shining yellow eyes had a cold and malevolent shine. His angular face was decorated with a perpetual sarcastic smile and a scar crossing his face, which only served to worsen the malevolence portrayed in his features.
His shining red hair contrasted with his pale, slightly yellowish skin. He was dressed in a black, red and purple combination that made him seem thinner than he really was.
Silvanna stood up and turning her back on him with disdain, she walked towards the window, not looking at him.
"Do you know why I have called you?" she said with a sharp tone.
"To do my specialty," he replied without hiding his malevolent smile.
"Then, I want that you follow and watch Moordryd Drakkus Paynn twenty four hours a day."
Rhamius whistled and said with sarcasm, "It seems that this rivalry is serious, or do you have other interests in that loser?"
"That isn't your business," responded Silvanna with a cold tone.
"It is my business," Rhamius said while he approached the girl and almost touched her shoulders with his hands. "After all, I must worry about the well-being of Diamath's."
Silvanna spun her body quickly and threw her mineral water to Rhamius's face.
"DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH ME!" Shouted furious the girl. "REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE LITTLE MORE THAN A STAFF MEMBER! GET LOST BEFORE I LOSE MY PATIENCE!"
Rhamius walked slowly towards the door, without losing his caustic smile. Elsie had watched the scene without losing her characteristic stoicism. When Rhamius left the room, she approached Silvanna and began to call the cleaning service on the com link.
"Elsie," said Silvanna with a tone that still demonstrated the upsetting the impertinent Rhamius had caused her.
"How can I help, Silvanna?"
"The next time that Rhamius comes, have him enter through the employee's door," she said. "And when the cleaning people arrive, ask them to disinfect this room."
After these words, Silvanna left the room.